Brass Grade-by-Grade Identification Guide

Brass is copper + zinc (typically 60–70% Cu). Grades sort by colour, alloy family, and contamination. See brass vs bronze identification for the quick visual tests.

• Yellow brass (clean): bright yellow-gold, non-magnetic. Plumbing fittings, valve bodies, door hardware. Top brass rate. Chrome plating downgrades slightly.
• Red brass / bronze: pinkish-red, heavier feel. Marine propellers, bearing bushes, older plumbing (C23000). Pays above yellow due to higher copper content.
• Radiators: brass header, copper core, solder, steel side-plates. Pays below clean brass — dismantle yourself to upgrade the copper portion.
• Fittings (plumbing): taps, unions, gate valves, ball valves. Chrome-plated takes a small discount vs raw brass.
• Mixed / dirty: brass with heavy iron, paint, or mixed-alloy contamination. Lowest brass tier.

Preparation Tips to Maximise Brass Payout

• Separate yellow from red/bronze. Red brass pays a premium — do not let it vanish into the yellow bucket.
• Strip radiators where practical. Pulling the copper core out lifts that portion to heavy-copper rate.
• Remove steel spindles from valves. A pipe wrench clears iron contamination in minutes.
• Keep chrome-plated separate for accurate grading. Do not attempt to strip chrome yourself — hazardous chemistry.
• Drain old plumbing fittings. Sludge adds weight but triggers moisture deduction.

For cleaning principles across all metals, see clean vs dirty scrap grading explained.

Where Brass Scrap Comes From in Singapore

• Plumbing renovation: gate valves, ball valves, unions, compression fittings from building re-pipes.
• Kitchen and bathroom refits: taps, mixers, spouts, angle valves — often chrome-plated.
• Marine refits: bronze propellers, rudder stocks, bearing bushes, sea-water valves from Tuas, Jurong, Sembawang shipyards. See marine scrap salvage.
• Heritage hardware: door knobs, handles, hinges, lamp fittings from shophouse restorations.
• Electrical and mechanical: terminal lugs, cable glands, gear selectors from workshop teardowns.
• Automotive radiators: older vehicles still use brass-and-copper radiators.

What Happens After We Buy Your Brass

Grades are bin-sorted on receipt. Radiators are dismantled on our floor — copper cores, brass headers, and steel plates go to three separate streams. Clean yellow brass is sheared to furnace-charge size; turnings are bagged separately.

Shipments go to secondary brass foundries in Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, where material is re-melted in induction furnaces, chemistry-corrected (zinc is volatile), and cast into billets or rod for forging and machining. Recycled brass returns as plumbing fittings, instrument parts, and electrical connectors — often within the same quarter. Around 75% of brass in use today contains recycled feedstock. For daily rates see scrap metal prices Singapore.

Brass pricing moves with both copper and zinc on the London Metal Exchange — since brass is 60–70% copper, a copper rally lifts brass scrap rates within days. For the terminology used on quotes and tickets, see our scrap metal glossary, and the ferrous vs non-ferrous guide explains why brass (alongside copper, aluminium, and stainless) sits in the premium non-ferrous bracket.

More Frequently Asked Brass Questions

How do I know if it is brass or bronze?

Brass is yellow-gold; bronze is pinkish-red and feels slightly denser. A file test confirms it: brass shows a yellow cut, bronze shows pinkish-red. Full guide at brass vs bronze.

Why are radiators worth less than clean brass?

Radiators are composites — brass headers, copper cores, solder, steel side-plates. Each needs manual dismantling, and solder must be removed before re-melt. Radiator rate sits 20–30% below clean yellow brass.

Do you buy brass shell casings?

Yes, from licensed sources (gun clubs, military ranges, authorised dealers). All must be spent and verified empty. Clean casings (C26000 cartridge brass) pay at the top yellow brass tier. Source documentation required under Singapore arms and explosives rules.

What is the difference between brass and gunmetal?

Gunmetal is a specific bronze — typically 88% Cu, 10% Sn, 2% Zn (C90500). Reddish-brown, extremely corrosion-resistant, used for marine valves and steam fittings. Pays at red brass / bronze rates.

Do chrome-plated fittings pay less than raw brass?

Slightly — usually 3–8% below raw yellow brass, because chrome must be removed before re-melt. Do not strip chrome yourself; it involves heavily regulated hexavalent chrome chemistry.

How fast can you collect brass scrap?

Same-day for loads above 100 kg within west Singapore (Jurong, Tuas, Sungei Kadut). 24–48 hours island-wide. WhatsApp a photo to +65 9106 7577 for a grade quote before dispatch.

Can I sell brass with lead in it?

Yes. Most free-cutting brass (C36000) contains 2.5–3.5% lead for machinability, and it is handled as standard yellow brass at the smelter. Leaded turnings are sometimes binned separately for volume lots, but for most renovation and plumbing loads the lead content is irrelevant to your rate.

Do you buy brass musical instruments?

Yes. Trumpets, trombones, saxophones, and similar are mostly C26000 or C27000 yellow brass and pay at clean yellow rate once lacquer and any nickel-silver accents are removed. Remember: sentimental value usually beats scrap value — think twice before melting an heirloom.

How We Receive Brass Loads — Bins, 40-Footer, Low-Bed

Brass loads usually come from plumbers, valve specialists, machine shops, and marine contractors — fittings, radiators, bushings, propeller offcuts. For ongoing producers we provide receiving infrastructure so scheduling stays predictable.

• Walk-ins accepted at our 170 Gul Circle yard during business hours (Mon–Sat 8:30am–6:30pm, Sun 8:30am–3:30pm).
• Free scrap bins on site for ongoing producers — we drop bins in common sizes and rotate them on a schedule you choose. Sorted bins (ferrous separate from non-ferrous) earn a higher price per kg.
• 40-footer trailer for long stock — structural beams, profile material, bar, tube, and any item that exceeds standard truck-bed length.
• Low-bed trailer for oversized cargoes — large machinery, vessel internals, complete heat-exchanger bundles, generator sets, transformers, and decommissioned plant.

We focus on receiving infrastructure rather than on-site removal crews. That keeps our per-kilogram quotes ahead of dealers who bundle haulage labour into the price — you handle the lift (or your contractor does), and we handle everything from the weighbridge onward.